4 Reasons Your Church Staff May Leave Your Team

When you have high capacity team members, be sure you're paying attention to the following. They could be the reasons your church staff will leave your team.

1. Boredom – One of the primary reasons people leave their ministry job is because they feel they have hit the ceiling within their ministry. Perhaps the student ministry is growing faster than the church as a whole. Perhaps the church team member has been serving in his or her role for 5-10 years with little change in their responsibilities. They are yearning for a challenge. Be sure to have a regular review process where you and your team can adjust role responsibilities, provide new opportunities, and cast vision for where the role is headed.

2. Compensation – Ministry is a calling, but ministers must be able to provide properly for their families. If a pastor is worried about paying the electric bill next week, he or she will most likely feel distracted at work and not be able to fully invest in the church community. Perhaps you have a high capacity team member that is working hard to grow their ministry. Be sure to reward him or her for their efforts. With a 24/7 job like ministry, it’s important your church team members feel compensated fairly so they are able to provide for their family’s needs and pour 100% into their ministry.

3. Vision – A lack of vision or misalignment of vision are often the reason team members become frustrated with each other. Your staff want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to know how what they are doing today affects the Kingdom tomorrow. Carve out time to cast vision for your church team on a weekly basis so that everyone is working toward the same goals. If there are some obvious disagreements about vision among your church staff, be sure to bring the issues to the table for discussion. If a mutual understanding can’t be reached by the team, it’s time for the team to reevaluate or for the team member to find a new team.

4. Micromanagement – Have you ever known someone to say, “I love being micromanaged!” Micromanagement is controlling and can make your church team feel like you don’t trust them. If you’re feeling the need to micromanage, step back and ask yourself what the underlying issues are. Are projects not getting done on time? Are details falling through the cracks? If so, the responsibility may be weighing on you more than you think. Ask yourself if you’re communicating your expectations properly and equipping your team with the proper tools to succeed. If so, inspire your team with room to be creative and be effective problem solvers. Letting go of the micromanaging reigns is freeing! Give it a try.

These are just a few reasons people begin looking for a new church to call their home. What tools have you found helpful in motivating your team and keeping them onboard for the long-term?